Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-08-05
a DUCK STORY.
How Old Joe Mason Killed Nineteen
Nnllnrl. AZ a Shot.

How Old Joe Mason Killed Nineteen
Mallards at a shot.
Old Joe Mason does kill o good many
ducks around near town I'm the course OF
the season. but seeing him DO il Is the only
guarantee of The truth of any of his big
Kills that he gets of on uususpectlne
strangers.
A few days ago | met him as was
walking down NcWbcrue avenue with q
young theological friend from Boston, and
thinking 10 amuse my companion at Joc's
expense / stopped the old man and asked
him what luck he had had ducking lately.
Common jo, common. Mr.. T., hain't
done nothin worth talking about, but
mcbbe Mr. didn't quite catch the name
Mr.. Smith, happy 10 make yer acquain
lance. sir-mebbc Mr.. Smith would like
% try his hand ON The mallard. They're
niehty thick now
The idea Of friend Smith shooting any
thing was rather amusing, so | told Joe
that If lie would name a day ! would try
my hand instead. as ! lad not had any
duckiug i'm all iii, winter
"All right said he. land 10 show that
thars some about III tell yer what did
day aiorc yesterday | was down to
Poolc's pond in the morning, about day
and crcpt up behind that bunch of cat
tails just above the old cotton screw to see
III there were any duck handy. About 200
yards up the north side OF the pond there's
ID big white oai, hangs over the water dust
bv where You shot that otter. Mr. IT,
We'll what should see but about twenty
malIard q sWimmiu around i'm % bunch,
ics as close q, they could huddie, a fccdin'
ON the acorn- that had fell often the oak.
The water amt above nine inches deep
there, and the bottom is hard, white sand
'My ole gun ii Kill furdcr nor airy
other one in Wake county, but 200 yards
on mallards ducks is raythcr fur even fer
her Wal, i studied au studied an tinal-
Us Crcp back into the woods away frum
the pond an drew The load Of duck shot
outcnmy ole flIcstick. / put in an extra
bic load of powder and about q handful Of
SO. 1 buckshot on the top | dunno how
much. but / do know il were bigger load
/ Crcp back and found the ducks thicker
nor ever. rested the old piece on q log,
about two feet above The thickcst of the
bunch, and pulled the trigger. The wind
were a-hlowin great guns right in
my face and blew the smoke into my eyes
so / couldn't See uuthin' for mint.
When did get O squirt through the reeds
! liko TO fell over backwards | was SO sur
pri.gd. for them duck was all there ics
like alorc ! shot | watched en- for a
while and it looked Ike they was "a fccdin
faster an divin' oftcncr than they had
been. They somehow seemed TO look
queer and KEEP q getting lower in the
water till the last blamed one Of en- sunk
clean outer sight Wal. | was dumb
founded, sure, but thought I'd go around
and see what allied EN-. When ! come TO
the place ! seen en- all Hat on the bottom.
stone dead
"What had killed them Iocg" ! in
quircd, as ] was getting interested, land
Why did not they fly when YOU shot2'
"Thcy didn't lly when ! shot. cause the
wind blew s0 thcy never hccrn 10, an what
.illcd 'cm was drowuin, jos drownn'
that all.
GLOW in the dickens IS duck going to
drown himsclfT' ] asked.
EASY 'nough; they thought them buck
shot fallin around en- was new kind of
acorn, and they ics' gulhied EN- up til
hey got so much lead i'm en- that IL sunk
era, and they was droWndcd. as | tell YOU.
There was nineteen ON 'cm, and ! brung
tm % town aud got - for the lot. Pretty
good haul, that, for one shot"